Just finally got around to trying out Isa's basic sausage template using vital wheat gluten and pinto beans. Taste is great but the texture, though easily chewable, reminds me of a wet kitchen sponge! What did I do wrong?

I unwrapped them and baked at 350 for another 45 minutes or so after the regular steaming for 40 minutes and that helped a lot on the outer layer which is now more like toast HAH! (still not sausage like at all but I'm good with that). But the inner part is still spoogy and sponge like. I have read comments that they were so like the critter kind that is was a bit scary. Not mine. Mine are so like my sponge that is is a bit scary!

It looks like they're undercooked still, maybe make them thinner next time. Also you should work the dough by ripping off the chunk for one sausage, folding it and kneading it until it gets tough to stretch and forms strings before you steam or simmer, or else it will remain mushy in the middle. Looks like now you could cut them into pieces and saute or something to brown them up and make them taste good, and if the spongy pieces are exposed to more cooking I bet they'll turn out alright.

in my experience you don't have to knead seitan sausages at all. I've probably made 100 of these over the last few years (maybe more?) Yours look awful right now! (sorry!) and not at all how they are supposed to. I have no idea what happened other than using the wrong flour. Maybe try buying a bag of bob's red mill just to make sure you're getting the right stuff.

You can watch Julie Hasson make them here. Maybe that will give you some pointers?

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I use big spoon mix all the rest of ingredients (pre blended in Vitamix) w/ the gluten. It was immediately thick and rubbery like bread "sponge" sort of if you have ever used "the sponge" method of making yeasted bread. It was wet but stretchy and holding together. Stuff at coop passed the water test!

in my experience you don't have to knead seitan sausages at all. I've probably made 100 of these over the last few years (maybe more?)

Blasphemer! I always knead mine - I make them in my mixer with a dough hook. All my recipes are adapter from hand-made seitan, though, where you have to knead bread flour under water until the starch is all gone. Knead your sausages!

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in my experience you don't have to knead seitan sausages at all. I've probably made 100 of these over the last few years (maybe more?)

Blasphemer! I always knead mine - I make them in my mixer with a dough hook. All my recipes are adapter from hand-made seitan, though, where you have to knead bread flour under water until the starch is all gone. Knead your sausages!

Yeah, I'm just talking about Isa and Julie's recipes in particular. If you watch Julie's video she doesn't knead anything.

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Ive also found sometimes its almost like i get a bad batch of vwg and my seitan turns out that kind of weird bready texture, its only happened a couple of times, but usually it can be sorted out with extra liquid.